


Forward We Move

by Merfilly



Series: Growing Up Jedi [9]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Secrets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-28
Updated: 2016-10-28
Packaged: 2018-08-27 12:00:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8400916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly
Summary: As things are settling for Mara to tackle her future as Mace's padawan, she finally learns the secret of Barriss. Mace learns, again, Ahsoka never tells all she knows, even if maybe she should have.





	

The next day in Knight Ashla's class, as Mace had encouraged her to continue to take as many subject courses as she wanted, she noticed that both Luke and Galen had their braids. While she hadn't cut her hair, she had shifted from wearing it in a ponytail to braiding it fully down her back, and leaving the padawan braid on her right side. Mace had only requested the braid be visible when in Temple. 

Few Jedi believed in fully marking out the youngest Jedi who might not always be in the Temple by demanding they cut their hair in the severe style from previous generations. Luke had chosen to do so, but Galen had merely braided the strand and clipped the rest of his hair back. Then again, Galen lived in an enclave, while Luke stayed mostly on Coruscant.

Had her uncle actually taken Galen on? He hadn't had a padawan of his own since her mom, who, granted, had resisted graduating to Knight for years. She managed to catch Luke's eye and use quick, discreet motions toward Galen, to which Luke tapped his chest, made the hand sign for 'father', and nodded.

Well, that was interesting, but if it meant Galen had a strong supporter, one who had faced his own troubles, then maybe everything would be better.

+++

"Padawan Tano," came the crisp, polished voice, and Mara looked up with surprise. What was Knight Offee going to surprise her with this time? She paused in the hallway, actually shocked as she realized she almost never saw the Knight outside of the training halls.

Maybe Uncle Anakin could clue her in on the mystery? Or was he just waiting until this term ended, to take Galen back to Naboo? Surely she could get hold of him before he left.

"Yes, Knight Offee?"

"I wished to congratulate you for your selection as a padawan," the Mirialan said, as she came to stand in front of Mara. "I also wish to invite you to remain in my courses, during your time in the Temple. You may lack an instinctive skill for healing, but you have an eye for observation and a wish to aid those you are responsible for that makes up for it."

"I… thank you, Knight Offee." Mara then looked directly into the blue eyes that always held shadows. "If I were to ask you about why you seem so interested in my path, would you tell me?" she asked bluntly.

There was a brief flicker of surprise, and then an almost amused light. "Do you really want to hear my side of the truth in the complications that are my life and your mother's?"

"Honestly, I'd just like to have somewhere more solid to stand, because I don't know either side!" Mara said with irritation.

"Oh." Why did the Mirialan look as if she had never considered the idea that Mara didn't know? "Join me for a meal, this evening, Padawan, and I will tell you, with the admonishment that it is solely my side of events. To have the best view, you will need to also ask your mother her version of the truth."

"Where?" Mara asked, even as that prickled on her nerves. Versions of truth always meant disagreements. Yet, she'd already known that, because of her dad's reaction.

"My apartment. Seventh hour. I presume you eat more animal protein?"

"I'm more open to other foods too," Mara agreed, trying to wrap her head around the fact she was going to learn the truth, at last, all because she'd asked.

"Then I will see you at the seventh hour, Padawan."

+++

Barriss had not spared any details, and now, three hours later, Mara dazedly walked toward her room… only to veer off and go find Mace instead. The idea of asking her mother about that, of stirring up the memories of being put on trial and facing death just seemed poor.

Her master, on the other hand, had been part of those decisions, and maybe his perception of the truth would help her understand more. If she didn't like his answers, were there precedents were withdrawing from a training pair? They hadn't actually made a bond yet, so maybe that could be handled without a fuss.

Oddly enough, she found Mace opening the door for her as she arrived at his quarters, and his companion, Ponds, just leaving. The vod looked at her warmly enough, then left her to whatever her business with his general was.

"My whole life, I have heard about Mom making some choice, because she had a Vision, and it changed the Order. But until tonight, I never knew it was because the Jedi Order threw her out, to face a possible death sentence!" Mara said, all of her shock coming to a head in a cold fury as she looked at the man who had led the Order then.

Mace didn't tell her to contain those emotions, didn't even flinch or favor her with disapproval. Instead, he frowned, and she slowly realized he had expected her to know that story, just as Barriss had.

"Do you wish to rescind your acceptance of being my padawan?" was the first thing he asked. "As apparently, the offer was made without full awareness."

"I don't know, Master Windu. I need more facts, and I really don't want to ask Mom or Dad, if they've let me go all term without actually telling me why they reacted that way when I told them who my healing teacher was." She dropped onto a pillow, followed by him across from her a few moments later.

"I never even considered that she, or Skywalker, wouldn't have told you about those last days of the Order as we knew it… not that many of us knew that for most of a year or more after the Trial." She could see him weighing how to say whatever he was going to… and then he did the only thing that felt right to her. "I was wrong to cave to the pressure, Mara. I thought giving your mother over would finally flush out a lead for us, to find out the source behind the vilification of the Order. Surely the public would react to the trial over a mere girl in such a way as to blow back on the propaganda.

"Only the public was out for blood, failing to see her age. And she proved to be more resourceful than even her master was prepared for, setting that impossible chase." Mace gave a faint smile, and Mara realized Mace Windu actually respected her mother. "When she was back in custody, the damage was already done, but fortunately, Skywalker saved the day… and then your mother vanished."

"I know the story, more or less, from there," Mara said. "She started working with the troops that Kamino would have scrubbed, found out about the chip, and fixed as many of those as she could."

"The next we saw of her, she was saving us all from the Sith's plans using those chips," Mace agreed. "Despite all she had been through and how resourceful she had already proven herself to be, she declined her Knighting the first time at that meeting, after the Sith escaped us. She cut Master Yoda off, rather than let him offer it."

"So very Mom," Mara said, before she looked up at him. "You didn't take me on to make it up to her, did you? Knight Offee said she feels obligated to help me, as much as she can, because of what she did, and what Mom did for her."

"No, Mara Jade Tano. I did not. I took you on because you hold a key to a future we both need to unlock, I think. I took you on because I admire your calm ability to observe, analyze, and then act. I took you on because the Force said it is right for us. But if anything you learned tonight has changed how you feel on this matter, I will accept your choice."

Mara met his eyes, saw and felt only truth, then reached up to play with her braid. "I think you're right, Master. This is right where I need to be."

"Good. Now, you're welcome to the couch, since I haven't emptied the padawan room, if you'd rather not walk back to your room tonight."

"I can make it… but I think I'm going to need that room when term ends," she said, committing fully to being his student for the upcoming storm she was certain lurked on the horizon.

"It's going to be ready, my padawan."

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you, one and all, for reading this series. I certainly wish to show what the visions mean and go forward, but it may be a little bit of time before I start the next arc. This felt like a decent resting point.


End file.
